I'd say don't get the M3 if you are not planning on tracking the car. A 335i will get you 90% of the thrills if you do any kind of performance driving. A 335i will also get you better gas mileage (a lot better) and is easier to drive on a daily basis.

That said the M3 is more fun to drive fast if you want to spend more. The 335i's lack of an LSD and overheating problems really cripples the car when it comes to track use.

I made the change and have zero regrets (except that I ever got a 335 in the first place). My 335i had tons of mods, but the M3 is just so much more rewarding to drive. I liking revving it high and hearing the V8.

The biggest improvement is definately on the track where the increased reliability, linear power and more capable chassis really make all the difference in the world.

I went from a 2011 335is to a 2013 M3. They are very different cars. For some people I believe the 335is would be the better choice. An M3 is a streetable race car. It needs a race track to get the maximum experience. The 335is is a good performing car but not a race car and I wouldn't track it. The 335is is a lot less money and gets a lot better mileage, I was getting 25. The interior in an M3 with leather is much nicer than a 335is. The technology in the M3 is excellent especially with DCT. With the M button it's like having 2 different cars with a push of the button. The exhaust note from the M3 is awesome.

So here's the deal, I have a e92 335 now coming off it's 3 year lease soon. Before that i had a 2007 335i sedan for 3 years. So 6 years of having an N54 (and not one bad fuel pump..... I've been lucky I guess).

So I have a chance to turn this car in at lease end and lease a new M3 pretty much fairly loaded the way I want it for only about $100-150 more per month than I'm paying now.

I like my car, it only has 30k and has given me no problems. With coilovers and other mods it's a fun and quick car. So is the M3 really worth it? For people that have gone from modded 335 to M3 do you ever regret it? I'm close to pulling the trigger, but just want some advice from others before i do.

So you are basically following my lead.

Not one issue in 6 years with 2 different 335's.

In late 2006 I order a 6MT e90 335 and picked it up in February 2007. It was tuned + downpipes.

I carried over those mods to a 6AT e92 335 and subsequently added PWM meth, LSD, coils and Mich PSS. This 335 was a beast and ran dead even with two Stage 1 Supercharged M3's. It was also very competent at the track. Not great, but it surprised many by never limping and pulling on 700 HP cars who were suffering heat soak. I just disassembled this car and turned it in. It will be missed tremendously. 450 RWTQ at 3,000 RPM is just insane as a daily driver, particularly as the car hooked up like it was on hot slicks.

Anyway I now have a 2013 e92 DCT ZCP M3. It was stock for 900 miles until I added the ESS VT2 600 supercharger and catless exhaust. This car is leaps and bounds far superior to my modded e92 335. However, if I had to keep the M3 stock, I'm not sure I would be so happy as the M3 felt very slow to me. It's probably the quicker track car, and it's much more comfortable DD than a coil-over 335. But it's hard to get away from that visceral experience with the rawness of the 335, particularly with loud turbo spool from the DCI/dps/tune. I've now given up that rawness for the loud crackle of the DCT shifts with the catless exhaust and the 125 decibel level screaming redline pulls from the SC M3.

Anyway good luck with your decision. Let me know if you need any other info.

Devil's advocate here with a couple things to think about. I don't know if they're material, but they're worth considering:

- Insurance on an "old" 335 vs a new M3?
- Do you care about gas mileage? It will cut pretty significantly
- Care and feeding, though you'll have a new car, so it shouldn't be an issue. If you track the car, brakes and tires will cost more (though it will be more fun).
- 4 doors vs 2. This is a logistical issue if you have family, drive friends around, etc. I also like opening the rear doors of my car and throwing in my track tires for schools (Try THAT with a coupe). You can take it for granted, but I've come to appreciate 4 drs in my 17 yrs of driving and tracking cars...all aesthetics aside. If you still want an M and 4 drs, you can backtrack and buy a slightly used sedan.
- Some owners say (including people with BOTH cars in their garage) that for the realistic proposition of bumping around town in a daily driver, the low and grunt of the 335 is better than the high end howl of the M3. I can barely get my 250HP E36 up the rev band, though I live in a very crowded city/region.
- If you track the car, then the M3 makes infinite sense. If you're realistically not using the car at that level (Don't even have some open country roads to play on, then a 335 might be a more pragmatic choice.

How about you keep the 335 for a year and see how the F80 pans out? You'd get to pick up a slightly used E92 for a steep discount or a new F80 if you're still interested in an //M. There's also the matter of how attractive your buyout on the 335 is. You didn't mention that.

Full mod(at the time) 2007 335i. 2010, switched to M3 driver seat. I only missed the huge torque, and that lasted about 2 days!! . You will NOT regret the move, at all. They are completely different cars.

So is the M3 really worth it? For people that have gone from modded 335 to M3 do you ever regret it? I'm close to pulling the trigger, but just want some advice from others before i do.[/quote]

Devil's advocate here with a couple things to think about. I don't know if they're material, but they're worth considering:

- Insurance on an "old" 335 vs a new M3?
- Do you care about gas mileage? It will cut pretty significantly
- Care and feeding, though you'll have a new car, so it shouldn't be an issue. If you track the car, brakes and tires will cost more (though it will be more fun).
- 4 doors vs 2. This is a logistical issue if you have family, drive friends around, etc. I also like opening the rear doors of my car and throwing in my track tires for schools (Try THAT with a coupe). You can take it for granted, but I've come to appreciate 4 drs in my 17 yrs of driving and tracking cars...all aesthetics aside. If you still want an M and 4 drs, you can backtrack and buy a slightly used sedan.
- Some owners say (including people with BOTH cars in their garage) that for the realistic proposition of bumping around town in a daily driver, the low and grunt of the 335 is better than the high end howl of the M3. I can barely get my 250HP E36 up the rev band, though I live in a very crowded city/region.
- If you track the car, then the M3 makes infinite sense. If you're realistically not using the car at that level (Don't even have some open country roads to play on, then a 335 might be a more pragmatic choice.

How about you keep the 335 for a year and see how the F80 pans out? You'd get to pick up a slightly used E92 for a steep discount or a new F80 if you're still interested in an //M. There's also the matter of how attractive your buyout on the 335 is. You didn't mention that.

+1

Also aren't you sick of the same interior? It's been 6 years, are you ready for another 3 years of the same interior? People who lease cars like change?

Well, you guys are talking me into it. But then again i did post this on an M3 forum so i kinda knew you would.

To answer some of the questions above, I may or may not have been to a few high performance driving events. I spent quite a bit trying to make the 335 a track car and it just doesn't work very well. I have coils, M3 front suspension bits, 2 piece rotors with track pads, camber plates, etc. Coils do help a lot to control the body roll, but's it's still a fricken pig on the track.

So anyway, I have never driven a DCT and saw my local dealer had a used one on the lot.... went down over lunch and test drove it. First of all i was very impressed with the feel of the M3. I drove one a few years back, but it was a pretty stripped down one with 18's on it i believe. This one was a 2012 ZCP coupe with only like 10k on it. Even with my suspension mods the M3 felt so much more planted and stable than my 335. But the DCT....... I'm torn. Going up through the gears at full throttle was fricken amazing, the sound was glorious. But when not at full throttle it was kinda just like a regular auto with faster/better shifts. Not sure if I'm ready to give up the manual. Anyway, I think i'm all in at this point as long as the numbers work out.

But the DCT....... I'm torn. Going up through the gears at full throttle was fricken amazing, the sound was glorious. But when not at full throttle it was kinda just like a regular auto with faster/better shifts. Not sure if I'm ready to give up the manual. Anyway, I think i'm all in at this point as long as the numbers work out.

Very hard choice, I liked the DCT too and it is the faster transmission, I lived with DCT for a couple weeks and I got bored, but it was smooth and cool to hear the downshift blips! you can even get software I believe to make it even faster and shift harder. If you plan to SC the car to 650hp, I'd go for DCT probably.

BUT, I decided the 6MT feeling of rowing through the gears and executing sweet heel-toe shifts was part of enjoyment of driving.

Devil's advocate here with a couple things to think about. I don't know if they're material, but they're worth considering:

- Insurance on an "old" 335 vs a new M3?
- Do you care about gas mileage? It will cut pretty significantly
- Care and feeding, though you'll have a new car, so it shouldn't be an issue. If you track the car, brakes and tires will cost more (though it will be more fun).
- 4 doors vs 2. This is a logistical issue if you have family, drive friends around, etc. I also like opening the rear doors of my car and throwing in my track tires for schools (Try THAT with a coupe). You can take it for granted, but I've come to appreciate 4 drs in my 17 yrs of driving and tracking cars...all aesthetics aside. If you still want an M and 4 drs, you can backtrack and buy a slightly used sedan.
- Some owners say (including people with BOTH cars in their garage) that for the realistic proposition of bumping around town in a daily driver, the low and grunt of the 335 is better than the high end howl of the M3. I can barely get my 250HP E36 up the rev band, though I live in a very crowded city/region.
- If you track the car, then the M3 makes infinite sense. If you're realistically not using the car at that level (Don't even have some open country roads to play on, then a 335 might be a more pragmatic choice.

How about you keep the 335 for a year and see how the F80 pans out? You'd get to pick up a slightly used E92 for a steep discount or a new F80 if you're still interested in an //M. There's also the matter of how attractive your buyout on the 335 is. You didn't mention that.

My average gas mileage went from 18mpg in my modded 135i to 15 mpg in the M3. It's not that bad in real world situations. But I guess it really depends on your right foot and how much freeway you drive on.

Thanks for the advice everybody! Well, I made the deal today and an M3 was actually located that matched my specs and it's headed my way. I should have it by the end of the month. I'll post up some pics when I get it.

And I decided to go DCT. I really hope I like it after the newness wears off. At least with that the wifey can drive it if she needs to. I'm sure I'll get used to DCT and all will be fine.

So now I have to start ripping the 335 apart and get my all mods off. The good news is I should have enough $$ from the sales to get a good head start on some M3 mods.